


Strength in Numbers, Part II

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: What Remains [15]
Category: Actor RPF, Australian Actor RPF, Banshee (TV) RPF, British Actor RPF, New Zealand Actor RPF, The Boys (TV 2019) RPF, The Walking Dead (TV), True Blood RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Walking Dead AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:28:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22560979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica
Summary: After the zombie apocalypse, survivors roam the UK, trying to find their families, other survivors they can trust and somewhere safe where they can actually allow hope for a future to flourish. In this chapter, the gang deals with an unexpected menace.Logan wakes in an instant, suddenly back in Glasgow, his heart pounding, terror taking hold as the reality sinks in. Fuck. He scrambles from the bed, grabbing his knife and headlamp, trying to see what the hell is going on, the sounds unmistakable.
Relationships: Keira Knightley/Clive Standen, Luke Evans/Alexander Skarsgård, Ryan Kwanten/Sam Worthington
Series: What Remains [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/605311
Kudos: 2





	Strength in Numbers, Part II

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone familiar with the [RPG Citadel](http://citadel.dreamwidth.org/read), this is NOT backstory for any of our pups in the game. Also, we apologize in advance for any discrepancies regarding weapons and UK geography and slang/terminology. We did our best but I'm sure we've mucked up something.

Jess is dreaming, a confusion of formless menace. It might be men, it might be animals, but something chases her through the woods, branches snapping as she pushes through the thick of the forest. They're getting closer, she can hear them growling...

She can _hear_ them. Something cold brushes her arm and she screams, bolting upright in bed. Clayton looms over her in the dim light. What was Clayton. She grabs the blade from under her pillow and slashes wildly at the walker, still screaming and scrambling back into a corner. "Help!"

Logan wakes in an instant, suddenly back in Glasgow, his heart pounding, terror taking hold as the reality sinks in. Fuck. He scrambles from the bed, grabbing his knife and headlamp, trying to see what the hell is going on, the sounds unmistakable. He flashes the light in the hall, Rebecca's distorted features growling at him, and beyond her, Clayton, with Jess in the corner. "Help!" he yells to the others, Rebecca's teeth snapping at him as he tries to hold her back, tries to get the right angle to take her out.

Sam's up from bed in a flash, taking the blankets and sheets with him, his gun grabbed from the dresser. Ear pressed to the door. "Fuck, they're in the house," he whispers to Ryan.

"Oh, shit. How the _fuck_ —" Ryan grabs his gun as well and eases the door open a crack before slipping naked into the hallway. The trouble's all at the other end, and he rushes Rebecca only to crash into Antony at the top of the stairs.

Jess hacks at Clayton, his blood splashing her, that vile gaping maw coming closer, closer... She forces herself to take a deep breath and fall back for the instant it takes to properly aim, and drives the blade into his face.

Keira opens the door, only to find complete chaos outside it. "Fucking move," she yells at the guys, pushing through to press her gun to the back of the walker's head and blow its brains out, spattering them all over Logan and the wall behind him.

Thank fucking god Logan has his mouth closed because… the brains, the blood, it all goes everywhere, coating his skin.

Bracing against the wall, Jess kicks and finally manages to dislodge the walker's heavy body. She's gasping for breath and scrubbing at the blood on her skin as she bolts from the room, coming up short at the crowd in the hall. "Oh my god, Logan!"

"I'm okay," Logan says, but he's not really sure he is. Fuck. He backs up, into the wall behind him, before realizing it's equally covered with gore. "Fuck... fuckfuckfuck..."

Slowly Ryan lowers his gun, the sudden burst of adrenaline still rushing through his veins. "Were you bitten, either of you? Scratched? Did you swallow any blood?"

"No, I'm—" Jess looks away and it's surely only the fierce tension of the moment that keeps her from laughing. "Jesus, Ryan, just go put some pants on," she mutters, pushing past them all to get to Logan. Starting to panic anew when she gets a good look at him.

Antony runs back downstairs and grabs a large bottle of water and a clean towel, back in a few seconds with both. "Here," he offers them to Logan.

Logan just stares at the items, scared to even open his mouth again. What if it gets in? What if he's got a cut on his face? What if? Silently freaking.

"I'll do it," Sam says, stepping, taking the water and towel from Antony. "Can we get some better light?"

Logan holds out the headlamp, still clutched in his hand.

Stepping closer, Jess gracefully drops to her knees next to Logan. Reaches up and - after an instant of hesitation - brushes his bloody hair back from his face.

Logan's eyes dart to Jess, something in him calming at the simple fact that she's here, alive.

Antony takes the headlamp and turns it on, angling it to give Sam the light he needs.

Sam wipes Logan's mouth first, then around his eyes, careful to use a different part of the towel for each area. After the whole warehouse thing, he knows exactly how Logan's feeling. It's been a shit day and everyone's entitled to fall apart at some point. "Can we rig a shower?" he asks Antony, continuing to clean Logan's face.

"Yeah, I'll get on that," Clive says from the doorway, happy for an excuse to leave the motionless walkers behind.

Pants snugly in place, Ryan squats down next to Sam and studies Logan's face by the light. "Do you think any got in you?" he asks quietly, trusting Logan will know what he means.

Logan shakes his head. "My mouth was closed," he whispers, his voice cracking, his throat so fucking dry. "I don't think I got any in my eyes."

"Do you have any exposed cuts, anywhere? Wounds?" Ryan asks, assessing his patient the best he can in the limited light.

"I don't think so," Logan says, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, his thoughts ping-ponging all over the place. "Fuck. I'm sorry," he murmurs, thinking hard. "I scraped my knuckles the other day, but they're all closed up." He offers his hand to Sam to clean and Ryan to check.

"Don't be," Sam says. "We're all entitled to our freakouts." Something he's had personal experience with very recently.

"And you?" Ryan asks, looking across at Jess. Sizing up the state of her. "Is that _your_ blood?"

"My...?" Jess looks down as if noticing her own state for the first time. "Oh, oh my god, no. That's Clayton." She pulls her shirt away from her chest, trying to keep it from touching. Tears spill onto her cheeks.

Keira looks at Logan. At the second body. At Rebecca. Fuck. She goes to Jess and wraps her arms around her, hugging her hard. "Come with me, let's get you cleaned up," she says, trusting the guys to take care of Logan. "One of them must have been scratched or bitten before we picked them up," she tells Antony. "They weren't out of our sight today and they didn't go in the warehouse."

Her thoughts bounce from one worry to another, and Jess picks her way carefully down the stairs behind Keira. "I can't believe this. I can't believe it," she whispers, as if to reassure herself it didn't all just happen. But as soon as her feet hit the landing she unbuttons the bloody shirt and skins out of it. 

"I knew something felt off about them," Keira says, fear making her angry. "I fucking knew it," she growls, digging through the clothes she'd found earlier for some clean jeans and a sweater for Jess and heading for the small bathroom around the corner. It's missing its door and only has a sink and toilet and no hot water but she pulls out a towel from under the sink, wets it and rubs the cotton in her hands until it's a little warmer before handing it to Jess. "Take your stuff off. I'll guard the door."

Swiftly Jess strips and starts scrubbing her skin raw. She didn't get nearly the kind of exposure Logan got, and rubs a little harder at the base of her neck in worry. "You're going to have to tell me later if I got it all," she murmurs. 

"Is that Jess?" Clive asks, sticking his head around the corner from the kitchen. "I've got water hot now."

"Give me a bowl. Logan needs the rest of it," Keira says, stepping out from the bathroom door just to get the water from Clive. "And hand me a lantern." Standing there with her hand out until he does.

Holding the lantern over them, Clive dives in for a quick hard kiss. Then hands it over.

The kiss melts something inside Keira, the smile Clive gives her completing the job. "Thanks," she says softly. "Now go clean up Logan and get the guys to put the bodies outside, please. I'm not sleeping again tonight with them up there."

Stepping carefully in the dimness, Clive climbs the stairs. Eva's in the hall now too, drawn by the commotion and the noise. "Clayton and Rebecca," he says shortly, and she nods in comprehension. "Here, Sam," he says, lugging the bucket into Logan's room. "It's pretty warm."

"Thanks." Sam gets Logan to strip down out of his blood-soaked clothes as Ryan rummages through Logan's bag for clean ones. He helps wash his hair first and they work their way down, Logan getting calmer as they go.

"It's a rare man who still travels with books," Ryan murmurs, setting some dog-eared paperbacks aside. It strikes him as odd, and he decides he likes knowing that about Logan. "Here," he says, pulling jeans, underwear, and a long-sleeve out of the bag, then carefully placing the books back inside. "I've got clothes for once you're clean, all right?" he asks, touching Logan's shoulder. 

Logan nods. "Thanks. Both of you," he blows out a breath. "I'm not usually like this. I've seen all sorts of things. Horrible things and I've just dealt with them."

Ryan stacks a few rattling boxes of ammo in Logan's bag, then picks up the last misplaced item: a photo of Logan and a lovely dark-haired woman, all sunshine and smiles. He averts his eyes, feeling like he's intruded on a private moment. "Everyone's dealing with everything however they can," he says. "It's okay to react this way."

Logan glances over, seeing the photo in Ryan's hand. A wave of sadness washing over him. "That was my wife. Can you tuck it into one of the books?" 

"Yeah, of course." Ryan carefully lays the photo between the center pages of one of the books, then repacks the bag. He looks up at Logan. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks. It's okay though. She passed before all of this," Logan says, taking the towel Sam offers him and drying off.

Alex thumps up the stairs. "Clive wants to know if you need more hot water."

Ryan offers Logan a hand up. "I think we're good. Did you talk to Jess?"

"Talked to Keira."

"Okay." Ryan's gaze is inevitably drawn to the body on the floor. "Help me get her out of here, yeah?"

Alex raises an eyebrow, getting a better look now by the lantern's light. "I'm not touching that end," he says, and grabs the body by its knees.

"I'll help Clive with Clyde's body," Luke volunteers, his stomach churning at the sight of what's left of Rebecca's head. God. It feels like they should all be inured to such violence and gore by now but they're obviously not. And maybe that's a good thing.

"I think I'm going to sleep down here the rest of the night," Jess says softly, too aware as she says it that they'll be lucky to sleep at all. 

"Coming through," Alex murmurs in warning, and she steps hastily out of their path. In the foyer, though, their progress comes to a check at the blocked door. "Are we really going to move the goddamn bookcase for these two?"

Ryan sighs, setting down his load. "Do you want them in the house?"

"Of course not, but it sure wouldn't be the first time."

"We're putting them outside," Jess says firmly, overhearing the last. "I'll help you with the bookcase."

"Me too," Keira volunteers, since the whole thing was her idea in the first place. She helps Jess move the bookcase, checking outside the door, the moonlight showing nothing around them. Waiting while Ryan and Alex take care of the first body and Clive and Luke bring down the second. "I don't think we should pick up any more people."

"Yeah. It's hard to imagine trying that again. Oh," Jess gestures towards the men, "did you see my knife up there?"

"Yeah, you left it on the floor," Clive answers. "I put it by Logan's door since they have the light."

Jess nods and shivers, gently closing the door so she and Keira can block it again.

"Now everybody wash," Ryan orders quietly. He's so paranoid about transmission of the virus, particularly since they aren't certain whether it's passed through the blood.

"Everybody?" Keira challenges.

"If you didn't touch a body and it didn't touch you, then no," Ryan sighs. "But as for the rest of us..."

Jess picks a cushion off the dusty sofa and sits down. "Logan? Where are you sleeping?"

"I can sleep on the floor," he says, in no hurry whatsoever to go back upstairs, his stuff already brought down. "My sleeping bag was in its case."

"I'm going to stay down here. Just, in case you don't want to sleep upstairs either." She glances around, then mouths, _stay?_

Logan nods. Of course he'll stay. Not that he's sure what that means. He takes a seat at the other end of the couch, watching everyone rush around, Ryan making sure everyone gets washed up properly while Eva heads back to bed, barely having woken up for the entire thing. "I can't wait til we get to the island," he says, finally, softly. "I don't care what Antony says. I'll take back-breaking work over this any day."

"Keira and I were talking about maybe not taking in any more strays," she murmurs in response. "What do you think?"

"I think we definitely don't go out of our way to bring anyone more in," he says after considering things for a moment. "And if we do run into someone, we should really check them over. If they want to join us, they'll agree. I would've agreed to whatever you guys wanted."

"I'm glad you're with us," she murmurs. Another glance around to make sure no one else is listening in - they're all busy with fading back into bedrooms for the night - and asks, "Will you sleep down here with me? I don't want to go back to that room."

Knowing Jess is glad he's with them? That's huge and it makes Logan feel a million times better. "Yeah, of course. I don't want to go back to mine either," he says with a small smile. "I can put my sleeping bag on the floor."

"Thank you," she says in a heartfelt whisper. Relieved when he doesn't press, because she's ashamed to ask for help. She digs out her jacket to use as a cover, and stretches out on the sofa.

"Just don't step on my head if you get up," Logan says with a smile, laying his bag out in front of the couch, amazed that he can actually feel this good after all that's happened this evening. Proving once again that the human mind is stunningly resilient.

Jess giggles. "I promise not to step on your head," she murmurs, shutting her eyes against the dark.

Slipping into the bag and dragging the cushion Jess had discarded earlier under his head, Logan exhales softly, adrenaline finally fading as sleep swoops in to claim him.

* * *

It's after dawn when Clive tiptoes down the stairs, although it's nearly impossible to tell it by the sun. He slips past Jess and Logan — ducking back only once to glance sharply at Logan, as if in subconscious warning. Opening the pantry, he begins a quiet methodical search of the near-barren shelves.

"Find anything?" Keira asks, slipping into the kitchen, her voice kept low.

"Olives," he answers, displaying a dusty can with a sigh. "I just want to clear out of here as soon as possible, so I figured I'd start checking."

Keira makes a face. "We brought in the one box. There's oatmeal and some brown sugar," she says, thinking how gorgeous he is, even with the overgrown beard and all rough looking. "Want me to put it on?"

"Yeah, that'd be good," he agrees, crouching down to peer at a bottom shelf. The watery sunlight filtering through the partially caved-in ceiling is growing stronger, revealing more empty cupboards. "Someone really cleaned this place out already," he murmurs, getting to his feet and wiping off his hands.

Keira thinks about that for a minute: the caved-in roof, the fucked-up furniture, the lack of supplies. "I wonder if they were gone before this is all started," she says. "It would make sense. They look old in their pictures. I don't see any kids or grandkids. They left _everything_ behind. Maybe they died or were moved into a home."

Clive stares at her. "Why does that make me even sadder?" His thoughts play out and he pictures a group of infirm wheelchair-bound elderly zombies. Not terrifying, but pathetic—yep, that's the bit. Slipping his arms around Keira's waist, he gives her an arch grin. "Thanks for cheering me up."

She laughs. "Maybe we should skip the oatmeal and just hand out protein bars this morning. Get out of here asap," she suggests, wrapping her arms around Clive's neck and kissing him thoroughly.

"I'm for that," he murmurs, kissing her back. "But maybe," he boosts her onto the counter, "not _too_ soon, yeah?" He trails his tongue along her throat.

Keira giggles and squirms but God, she's instantly wet, wrapping her legs around him. "They'll hear us," she says, but it's not really a protest.

"It's about time. We've certainly heard them," he murmurs against the hollow of her throat, one hand sliding up her inner thigh.

"Yes, but they've been in rooms with doors," she says, heat flooding her cheeks, which is funny, because she never worries about what anyone else thinks these days. Except Antony, and Sam. And now Clive. And Jess. Oh fuck it. "Be quiet and watch the door," she orders, reaching for his zipper.

He slides his hands up her thighs beneath her skirt, past her thigh-highs to her thong underwear. Tugs it out of the way and takes a moment to line up and then he sinks in, sinks deep in a thrust, her body wet and warm and welcoming.

Keira bites down on her bottom lip, clit pulsing as Clives fills her completely. "Oh god," she whispers, needing to make some sound, her arms tightening around his neck.

"That's it, love. Open up to me," he whispers against her throat. He hitches her knees up onto his hips, changing the angle slightly. It feels so fucking good, sunshine in the middle of a nightmare world, and he's determined to make it just as good for Keira.

"Watch the door," she hisses back, the next thrust shoving her over the edge, into her first orgasm, her teeth gritted tight against crying out.

Clive loses it when Keira comes. Thrusts deep inside her and ignores the fucking door — like he's going to stop? "Come again."

She rocks on him, getting her clit right against his pubic bone, and _grinds_ , fireworks going off inside her less than a second later. Fuck. And again. The taste of copper flooding her mouth.

" _Yes_ ," Clive groans, because fuck being quiet. He buries his tongue in her mouth and comes hard. Reveling in the feeling of being bare inside her.

Jesus Christ. In the living room Logan feels like they might as well be going at each other right beside him. The walls are paper thin, Keira and Clive nowhere near as quiet as they think, and even more pathetically, he's rock hard with not a thing to do about it.

Shutting her eyes against the blurry ceiling, Jess lifts her hands from the blanket and covers her ears. Unbelievable. And when there's nowhere to silently run to.

Clive laughs softly, Keira's throat damp beneath his lips. "Oh my god, you're amazing."

"And you're a bad boy," Keira says, annoyed but not really as she pokes him in the side. "You were noisy _and_ you didn't watch the door."

"I can see the door from here," Clive protests, feeling too mellow to give a shit. "There's no one in it. Jess and Logan are asleep. And Antony is... all right, I have no idea where Antony is." He usually doesn't. 

"We are _not_ asleep," Jess groans, her hands pressed over her ears accomplishing exactly nothing.

Clive bites back a smile. "Good morning then."

"Assholes," Logan mutters under his breath, but he's not really serious. Nope. You have to grab happiness where you can, while you can.

Jess snickers, her hands now over her eyes. "We're surrounded." It does feel that way, people hooking up right and left. Sitting up she pulls her boots back on, and peeks into the kitchen. "Don't worry, they're both dressed now."

"Good," Logan sits up too, keeping the sleeping bag bunched around his lap. "You can go ahead and use the washroom if you want."

"I think Keira might need it more than I do..." she murmurs, but gets to her feet nonetheless. She pokes her head in the kitchen. "Good morning," she says, and has to laugh at the sly look on Clive's face. "You are so not suave," she tells him, and shuts the washroom door behind her.

Logan breathes a sigh of relief when Jess closes the bathroom door. He's just about willed his erection away thinking about the night before when Antony comes downstairs. "Where were you?"

"I slept on the floor at the end of the hall. There were a whole bunch of blankets in the closet by the upstairs bathroom," Antony says. "I made myself a nest." Eyes crinkling, amused with himself. "It was actually pretty comfortable."

"Next house, you get a bed. Priority," Ryan tells him, jogging past. "When we're not all hot-bunking, I guess." He hadn't even thought about it that way yet. "What's the plan this morning?"

"Get the hell out of here," Antony says, already getting his stuff together. "Get as far north as we can. The sooner we get to the coast, the happier I'll be. And if we need to stop somewhere tonight, we'll stop somewhere with a fucking roof."

"Amen to that," Jess murmurs, pulling her jacket closer around her. "Logan?" she asks, looking around. "Do you want to take the van to that Tesco Antony knows?"

"Sure," Logan responds without hesitation, stunned at the ask but doing his best to hide it. "Can you fit my bike on the back of one of the Humvees?" he asks Antony.

"I can but I don't know if I want you guys going off on your own until we're where we need to be," Antony says with a frown.

"There's only the one road and couples of forks from here," Logan says. "Right? We can make the trip and join back up with you guys by tonight or tomorrow at the latest."

"By tonight," Jess puts in, "because I don't want to try and sleep out here." She eyes Antony. "What do you think?"

"If you're not back with us by noon tomorrow, we're doubling back to find you," Antony says, aware things happen and they could be delayed. "Any sign of trouble and you forget the fucking Tesco. We'll make do with whatever supplies we can find in John o' Groats."

'Noon tomorrow' sounds ages away, and Jess is confident that they'll be back with the group long before then. "I'll pack up some food for the day," she tells Logan, and disappears into the kitchen to review the scant supplies they brought inside.

"Are you sure you don't want someone coming with you?" Antony asks, really not liking the idea of splitting the group up right now but on the other hand, they do need the supplies, and they could easily arrive to find John o' Groats emptied out.

"We'll be good," Logan assures him, packing up his sleeping bag and his backpack. "We'll be careful, we won't take any chances, we're not going to run into too many walkers up here, everyone who could probably headed south."

In the kitchen, Jess sidles up to Clive. "Hey," she whispers. "I'm going to Tesco with Logan."

"Oh. All right. God, that sounds so normal," Clive mutters. He frowns down at her. "You sure you're all right with that?"

"I'm fine," she says automatically, then relents, "if you think it's okay."

"If I think it's okay? It's not up to me, Jess."

"I know that. I'm just asking for... for your measure of him."

Clive eyes her for a long moment. "We've accepted him into the group. Trust your instincts. Or trust Antony's, whoever."

"You're a big help, thanks." She slips the half box of 9 mm shells back into her pack and zips it up tight.

In the meantime, Alex and Luke have come downstairs and Sam's sitting on the couch, rubbing a hand over his face, still half asleep. "I don't like this," Luke whispers to Alex. "We shouldn't be splitting up. This is when bad stuff happens in all the horror movies."

"Logan knows what he's doing, though. He'll keep them safe." Alex scrubs a hand over his eyes, and yawns. "I'm more worried about them getting lost than running into other trouble."

"They won't get lost," Luke says. "There's only so many roads up here." Which takes care of both their worries.

Antony makes a copy of his map anyway, laying a spare piece of paper over it and tracing the road to the Tesco as well as the main roads to John o' Groats. "You guys headed out now?" he asks, everyone already packing up, protein bars wolfed down in the desire to get the hell out of here.

Jess turns away from where she's been peeking out the window. "Yeah. It looks clear outside."

"Please get some paracetamol," Ryan murmurs with an imploring gaze, and she nods.

"We'll get whatever we can," Logan assures everyone, shoving the map into his pocket. "And we'll catch up with you soon." Hopefully really soon. As much as he's looking forward to some alone time with Jess, he'll be glad when they leave the mainland behind.

They move supplies from the van to one of the Humvees while Sam helps Antony fit Logan's bike on the back of the other, Clive and Keira going with them while Alex and Luke stick with him and Ryan. "Are we planning on stopping anywhere aside from filling up or just powering through?" he asks Antony. 

"At this point, I think it's better if we power through," Antony says, running a hand over the back of his hair which is starting to grow out. "I'll put my hazards on if we need to stop, if there's anything worth stopping for, but otherwise, let's just get there. After last night, everything feels like we're pressing our luck."

Jess climbs into the van, her gun at the ready just in case they encounter anything untoward on the road. She's nervous and scared -- the only time in recent memory she hasn't been scared was the one night on the boat. With Logan. She feels calmer in his presence than she does with any of the other guys, except for Clive. And maybe their run today will be a success. They could sure all use a win, especially after last night.

"We need to backtrack a bit to get onto the road for the Tesco," Logan says, pulling them out from the back of the house and down the driveway to the main road. Catching sight of Clayton and Rebecca's bodies in the rearview mirror, he suppresses a shudder, thinking about how different a morning this could have been.

Her gaze is inexorably drawn to the same place, and she stares at the corpses for a long moment before they're out of view. "How are you doing, after last night?"

"Better. It all seems so surreal," Logan says, stopping to check both ways - old habits - before turning onto the main road. "We barely got to know them and they could have easily killed any or all of us."

Jess sighs and murmurs, "I'm so glad we didn't know them any better. I don't know if— well, I mean, I'd still have to have done the same, but... You know."

Logan nods. "I do," he says, nodding towards a lone walker ambling south along the road in front of them. "I wonder where he's coming from? It seems like most of them have moved on."

Jess frowns at the walker in consideration. "That is weird. The herd instinct is really strong with them, have you noticed? I don't think it's just because they ran out of food that they all walked away. I think a bunch of them were just following the others."

"Well, I hope they all keep heading south," Logan says, taking the turn off that's supposed to lead to the Tesco. "Whether they're following each other or looking for food, the fewer we have to deal with, the better. And fewer walkers probably means fewer people too and I'm not even sure which is more dangerous anymore."

"People," Jess sighs, watching out the window for any sign of movement. "At least with walkers you always know what their ultimate motivation is."

"Yeah, they just want to eat you," Logan says, laughing, although it's really not funny at all.

His laughter makes her lips curve into a smile, though. "You've got that whole apocalyptic dark humor going on," she says, grinning at him. "I can't even think what you'd say about scary clowns."

"That the only thing scarier than scary clowns is scary zombie clowns," Logan quips, grinning back. "Can you imagine?"

"No. God," she laughs too, a little surprised by the rusty feel of it. "They have colleges devoted to clowning, did you know that? I knew a girl in school who wanted to go to one, but she said it was incredibly competitive." Jess shudders at the idea. "What were you scared of when you were little? The thing in the closet?"

"It wasn't in the closet," Logan says, as they drive along the mostly deserted road, the few abandoned cars and derelict houses spread out enough they don't have to stop and take a closer look. "It was under my bed, and I don't think I really knew what it looked like. It was just there and I was sure it would get me if I put my feet down too close so I'd leap off the bed in the middle of the night when I had to go to the washroom and then throw myself halfway across the room to get back in."

Jess smiles a little at the mental image. "I was terrified of mummies," she offers after a moment. "There was some movie on TV and of course my mother told me not to watch it so of course I did anyway. And then I remember peeking out from under the covers each night, praying that God wouldn't let a mummy get me."

"How old were you?" Logan asks.

"Nine, I think." She looks over at Logan, measuring him with her eyes. "Do you think they'll all come back? All the dead ones?"

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," she whispers, looking away. It's a stupid idea, one no one else is worried about so she shouldn't waste her time on it either.

"No, don't 'never mind' me," Logan says, starting to reach for her, to touch her knee, before he checks himself and pulls his hand back. "Do you mean like the _dead_ dead? Like people in the ground? Or just anyone who dies naturally now?"

"People in the ground," she echoes woodenly. "Like, the virus was always inside them. Inside us. And now that the tectonic plates shifted, or too much of Antarctica melted, or a comet, whatever, and the virus got activated, now—it's just a matter of time before they all wake up."

"I sure as hell hope not," Logan says after a moment, having really thought about it. "But we should probably talk with Antony about that. Do something about any graves on the island. Make sure we have a plan in place if anything happens to anyone in our group."

"Right." It's a bitter thought, but Jess recognizes it for a necessary one. "I'm glad I'm in our group," she murmurs. "We've got some solid people. And I can't imagine trying to go through this alone."

"I was worried I was going to be on my own before I met up with you guys," Logan says, slowing down as they pass a gas station, the windows and door completely smashed in. Damn. No point in stopping there. "And I was spoiled. I'd had months where I didn't have to worry about anything except some awful noises at night. Stella and Brian had a lovely garden. We actually sat out there most days. We reinforced the fence and the gate and we used sign language to communicate."

"That sounds beautiful. We'll have a garden on the island," she decides with a nod. "Not just one for vegetables, I mean, but an herb one and maybe then after we've dug in for a year, there will be time to plant a flower garden. Just to sit in." She can picture it, relaxing back in the evening after a day of manual labor, enjoying a well-earned moment of peace.

"We need a wish list," Logan says, imagining the garden too, everyone sitting around at the end of a long day, talking, singing, relaxing together, maybe some kids running around. "A checklist for necessities and then a wish list for all the other stuff we'd like or want back."

"I love that idea," Jess says with an actual smile. It's lovely to think of. She sits up to check out another smashed-up storefront as they pass, but it looks as deserted as the rest of the landscape. "What do you miss the most? That you can't have right now?"

"You're going to laugh," Logan says before giving in and admitting, "I miss having a library."

"Why would I laugh at that?" She does smile, however. Another lovely image to help get through dark times. "What's your favorite thing to read? Because I miss— Okay, now you're going to laugh."

"I will never laugh at you," Logan promises with a grin, crossing his heart. "Tell me."

Jess sighs, smiling. "I miss my cookbooks. And I mean, not just because we're incredibly lucky to get cans of scrounged stew. But... I used to read them, and imagine what situation I would make which recipe for, and how I would set the table for that event, and... It was nice. Relaxing."

"I bet. See, I would never laugh at you for that," Logan says. "I want a couple of hours to just read. I used to love sci-fi and horror but now... I think I'll stick to mysteries and psychological thrillers, maybe dabble in some serious literature." He smiles over at Jess. "But probably the closest I'll get to books for a while, besides the couple I'm carrying, is some guide to rebuilding civilization."

"Hey, I don't underestimate the value of a man who can help rebuild civilization," she says with a warm laugh. "Which ones did you…? Can I peek?" she asks, indicating his backpack.

"Sure," Logan nods, "They were what I was reading when I had to leave. Rereading, I guess, actually. Old favourites and ones I thought I'd read again." 

Jess unzips the pack and digs beneath some neatly folded clothing to pull out a paperback novel. "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," she reads aloud, flipping the book over to read the summary on the back, her brow furrowing. "And," she extracts another book, _A Fine Balance_. "I haven't heard of either of these. They sound really good."

"They're both really involved, really intricate, great character studies. Both depressing as hell to be honest," Logan realizes, "but maybe I needed to feel like someone was worse off than me. Even if they're fictional." He offers Jess another small smile. "You're welcome to read them."

"Thank you," she says, ducking her head. But has to ask, " _Are_ they worse off than we are?" A chilling thought.

"In their own ways maybe," Logan says, watching for something, anything, they might want to salvage, "and because they have fewer choices. We may be having to deal with zombies and asshole humans but we're not hemmed in by society or expectations of how we're supposed to behave."

She considers that, looking him over. He's a handsome man, no doubt, even with the mountain man beard and mustache combo; likely more so without it. But that's not what interests her. Especially not now. "I think you're wrong," she says quietly. "I think it's only because some people still insist on living by those expectations that the world hasn't gone to _complete_ shit."

"I agree with you but I'm not talking about morality," Logan says. "I believe in good and evil. I believe there are ways you _should_ live to be a good person and contribute to a good society, to civilization, but in those books, caste, where you were born and to whom, decides your fate, how far you can reach, what you can do with your life. Being gay, being different. I guess I feel like, despite the shitty situation, we're still the masters - and mistresses - of our own destinies. We all have a voice and hand in creating the future. But maybe that's only true of our little group, I don't know..."

Her throat tightens and she nods. "Yeah, um." She swallows hard. "I should tell you something. I'm really starting to like you."

Those might be the sweetest words Logan's heard in a long time but still... "As in not wanting to blow my head off like me, or as in you might want to kiss me again someday like me?"

An involuntary smile rises to her lips. "Stop making me laugh, this is important."

Logan crosses his heart. "I'll behave."

Great, like that helps—the schoolboy impression paired with the dancing eyes. "My point is that I hope you're not starting to like me, too. Because you shouldn't waste your time with that."

It takes a few seconds for those words to sink in, Logan not entirely sure he's heard right. Until he is. "Why?"

"Why?" she echoes, confused. "Because right now there's just Keira and Eva, yeah, but when we meet more women you should find one of them. There will be more."

"I don't care if there's more. I like _you_ ," Logan points out, struggling to keep his attention on the road. "And you just said you like me, so why I am wasting my time?"

Jess blinks hard, turning her gaze to the window, like the rush of the wind is what's making her tear up. She hadn't thought he'd make it so hard on her. "I know everyone knows what happened to me," she says. "I mean, you all tiptoe around me - except for Alex - like I'm an unexploded grenade. I can't— can't be like other women anymore. You shouldn't have to settle."

"I know vaguely what happened to you," Logan says. "Not any actual details. And if we tiptoe around you it's because we're trying to be respectful, to prove we're not like the assholes who hurt you. But as far as you not being like other women? I'm assuming you mean sex, and I don't care."

"What do you mean, you don't care?" Jess asks, aghast, and goes right on digging even though she needs to drop the shovel. "Why don't you care about sex?"

Logan blows out a breath. "I mean that after my wife was raped we didn't have sex for a year, and even after that, when we did, it wasn't on a regular basis. We hugged and kissed, sometimes we made out, but we didn't have sex unless she outright told me she wanted it and then we made sure she still wanted it with every single move. So I don't know if don't care about sex is the right way to put it but I'm used to taking care of myself and physical affection's actually way more important to me than sex."

His words sink in, and she turns away as the tears swiftly flow. "You're offering something I didn't think I could have again. You're telling me it's possible."

"I am," Logan says softly. "And I'm also telling you I don't want anyone else. That I _won't_ want anyone else." Not when he's already fallen for Jess.

She swipes the back of her hand over her eyes. Reaches out and touches his knee, in acknowledgment of all he's said, all he's offered.

Logan drops his hand to hers and gives it a gentle squeeze, rubbing his thumb over the back. "There's a pharmacy," he says quietly, nodding ahead of them. "How's it look?" Slowing down, his eyes on the road around them while Jess gives him the lowdown.

"It looks very village-y," she says, studying the busted display window. "We're here, it's worth a shot to look. Does everything seem clear?" she asks, grabbing some empty sacks from the back seat. Just in case they find something worth salvaging.

"Really, really clear," Logan says, given that they've only seen two zombies since they left the house. He takes another look though before pulling over and makes sure he has his gun, his blade and his rifle before meeting Jess on the sidewalk. "I wonder if they're in the houses," he says quietly, taking a closer look at the broken window and through it, into the store.

She leans in and listens closely, but has to agree with Logan that the place sure seems abandoned. "So long as they stay in there. You want to go in first and I'll have your back?"

"Sure." Logan nods, knocking the butt of his rifle against the door. Once there's no answer again, he smashes the window and carefully reaches through, unlocking it and letting them in. "Clear," he whispers as he checks on each aisle, behind the cash and finally, behind the counter at the back. It's a small store and it's obvious it's been empty for a long time, cobwebs hanging from most of the shelves.

Jess exhales. "God, it's a relief to find nothing," she whispers. She lowers her gun and looks around, scanning the mostly-empty shelves. Dropping to her knees, she looks beneath the racks as well. "Some pills," she says triumphantly, pulling out a small plastic vial. "Head's up." She tosses the bottle to Logan. "Think Ryan would want that?"

Logan reads the label: dexamethasone. "Any idea what it is?"

"Not a clue. But with that many syllables, it's got to be good." She steps behind the cash register again, bending down to inspect the dusty shelves beneath.

Logan adds it to his bag and pokes through a couple piles of refuse on the floor. "Nail clippers?" he asks, holding up a set. "What about reading glasses?" In a case and miraculously unbroken.

"Yeah, both—" Jess breaks off, and does a double-take. "Logan," she says. "Logan, look." She holds out the chocolate bar on her palm.

"Oh wow," Logan says, eyes going wide. "That might actually be the last one on earth."

She nods, chewing on her bottom lip. Then she thrusts the candy at Logan. "You hold it."

"Why? You found it," Logan says. "You should have it."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not eating this whole thing by myself. What do you think, should we save it and give a little bit to everybody, or will that just make things harder for them? Maybe we should share it now and then pretend it never existed." She shoots him a smile.

"Now there's a moral dilemma," Logan says, smiling back, not really wanting to be the one to choose. "I still say it's yours and you can give me a little if you want."

"Hmm. I think... Oh, I've got it. We'll split it among everyone," she says, "and everyone will get their own tiny piece, but you and I can have our pieces now."

"That's very egalitarian of you," Logan says with a smile. Clearly approving, although he would have been equally so if she'd done differently.

"Well, we have to actualize our hopes for the future, right?" Unwrapping the candy bar she offers it to Logan.

"Right," Logan nods, breaking off a piece after he makes sure he's not taking more than his share. "I wonder what you need to make chocolate."

"Cocoa, sugar, salt, butter..." Her mouth is watering. She breaks off a piece equal to Logan's in size and lays it on her tongue with a little moan.

"So we could conceivably get on our hands on those..." Logan says, putting his own piece in his mouth. He's never been that big on chocolate but right now, it seems like the best thing he's ever tasted in his entire life. "Mm..."

She grins at him. Impulsively steps forward and presses her lips to his in a butterfly-light kiss. 

Logan kisses back but he doesn't try to deepen the kiss, not yet. "We both taste like chocolatre," he whispers.

"Yeah," she whispers back, feeling like she's poised on the edge of some great precipice. Carefully she sets her gun down on the counter, then slips her arms around him to kiss him again.

Logan groans softly into the kiss, shoving the chocolate bar into his pocket and placing his hand on her hip. She does taste like chocolate, like chocolate and that tea she makes and the toothpaste they've been rationing out like crazy.

He's so warm, long and solid against her and for an instant she panics, ready to shove him away and bolt. But his lips feel good, calming in a way. The way he touches her so carefully feels safe. For the second time Jess finds herself smearing her tears with the back of her hand.

"Hey..." Logan doesn't know what to say. "Can I hug you?"

"Yeah," she whispers, nodding.

Logan slings his rifle over his shoulder and wraps both arms around Jess, pulling her in close, his face pressed to her hair.

She curls into him, hiding her face in his shoulder. And the tears keep coming, overwhelming her in a crushing wave, sobs racking her body.

There's a million things Logan thinks to say and none of them he does. Instead, he simply holds Jess, keep his arms tight around her, offering his warmth, his support, his presence. Just being here for her.

Gradually she quiets, but even then she clings. Relaxing into his embrace in a way she had feared she never would again. "Thank you," she whispers, perpetually polite even if less than self-composed. 

"It's what I'm here for," Logan says. "I'm just glad you're letting me hold you."

She smiles against his shoulder. God, she'd have fallen for him in an instant back in the real world. "We should go," she says, reluctantly stepping back, out of his arms. "The weather's breaking."

"Yeah, and they're waiting for us," Logan says with a nod, taking one more quick look around the place before they make their way back out onto the street, the absolute stillness of it all creepy as hell. "You good with me driving?"

"Yeah— except you're surely a better shot than I am, so it makes sense for me to drive," she says, and holds out her hand for the keys. "You had sniper training, right? You could teach me?"

Logan nods, handing over the keys. "There's a whole bunch of stuff I could teach you, when we're settled," he says, getting in on the passenger side. "Or even once we're back with everyone."

"Good." Jess pulls back out onto the main road. "And I... well, I don't really have any useful knowledge to exchange," she says apologetically. "Unless you want someone to tell you the difference between cilantro and parsley."

"Can you tell the difference between what plants we can eat and which ones we should stay the hell away from?" Logan asks. "Because _that_ would be hugely helpful, and knowing which plants can be used for medicines."

"I know some of that. More the medicines than the poison, but it's a start," she replies, grateful to Logan for suggesting it. "Ryan and I have talked a little about what to do once we run out of pills. It's why I've got such a collection of herbs in my pack. I try to pick some more whenever I find them."

"That's what we should look for at the Tesco," Logan says, suddenly sitting up straighter, having thought he'd seen some movement behind one of the cars up ahead. "More seeds."

"Yeah— what do you see?" she asks quietly, on hyper alert now. Slowing the van and scanning the horizon.

"I thought I saw something behind that blue Vauxhall on the right," Logan says, still watching it closely. "Give it a wide berth."

She does so, driving off onto the grassy shoulder to get some extra space. The movement materializes into a walker, but it's a loner, stuck in the car door and reaching for them with its mindless groans.

Logan shakes his head, watching the zombie until it disappears in the sideview mirror. "I wish we could put them all down," he says softly. "I hate knowing they're going to be there, like that, forever."

Her lips purse into a frown, and she nods. "Yes." It's a terrible thought. The ongoing decay, the gradual decomposition into dust. Would the brain stem keep trying to animate the body, long after the point of capability? "Do me a favor," she says, glancing at him. "Don't leave me like that."

"I won't," Logan promises. "Do me the same?"

Jess nods, swallowing hard. "I know some people think it's a waste of ammunition," she says, pulling off the road again to slowly edge past an overturned trailer. "But I don't think so. I think mercy is more important. As long as I have a bullet."

Logan nods. "I agree. I could've shut Brian and Stella up in the house and got away but I wasn't going to leave them like that."

She blinks, thinking of her gran, and a tear spills onto her cheek. Really, she's had enough of crying today, and swipes impatiently at her eyes. "Is that our turn?" she asks, squinting at an out-curving of the road. 

"Yup, it shouldn't be much farther," Logan says, checking his copy of the map again.

"All right. Here's hoping there's something for us there," she murmurs, taking the turn. They have to make a few more slight detours around vehicles which are simply stopped short and blocking the road, but don't encounter any more of the dead. "Where'd they all go?" she asks, not really expecting an answer. Still on alert as she checks her gun, then climbs out of the van.

"I have no idea but I really don't care as long as it's not the Tesco," Logan quips, gun at the ready as they head for the store. "There's a set of outer doors before the inner ones. We should be able to get a good view of the store from inside the first."

She nods and puts her back to his, scanning the graveled lot for any flicker of movement.

At the doors, Logan takes a quick look through, the glass strangely intact. There's no sign of movement in the space between the two sets of doors and when he tries one, it opens easily, unlocked. Fuck. "This is getting creepier and creepier," he says under his breath. Inside he drops his gun for a moment, waiting until Jess is inside too before he relaxes. He looks through the second set of doors and again, there's no obvious movement, everything he can see still intact. "I don't get it. Why didn't they ransack this place? The doors weren't even locked."

Looking back over her shoulder again, Jess frowns. She's growing more paranoid by the second. "You don't think it's a trap or something, do you?" she whispers.

Logan shakes his head. "I don't think so. There's dirt on the floor and dust on the shelves. None of it's been disturbed." He pulls the emergency release for the inside doors and pushes one side back just enough that they can slip through.

She steps inside and cautiously advances a few feet, but the place feels as empty as it looks. As empty as it sounds. Perversely her mind expects an attack anyway, and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in a sudden chill.

"Be ready to run," Logan tells her before banging the barrel of his rifle against a nearby cart, the clanging echoing through the store.

The noise seems to reverberate even louder, and Jess stops breathing, her whole body strung taut with tension. But all they get is a resounding silence, thick and pressing. "I'm going that way," she whispers, pointing down an aisle of sundries. Hoping to find tampons.

"Take a cart," Logan says, pulling one from the rack and pushing it towards her. "We should fill the van to the brim." He grabs one himself. "I'm going to raid the hardware and home sections." Normally he wouldn't like the idea of them splitting up but there's no question no one's been in here in ages and the sooner they pack up and move on, the sooner they meet back up with the group.

The dusty boxes are almost buried on a lower shelf, but Jess eventually finds both tampons and pads and grabs several packs of each. And toothpaste, and soap, and now she's just trying to preserve humanity and she's being ridiculous... Resolutely she shakes her head at herself and tosses a couple packets of dental floss into the cart as well. If they're deemed unnecessary for the trip then they'll get left behind and that's fine—at least she tried. Her gaze sweeps over the paltry offerings of cosmetics and perfumes, and she reflects on priorities of the new world. Shakes her head and goes to find Logan.

Logan's packed up two carts at this point. Shovels, pick axes, hoes and chicken wire fill one while the other has every hand tool imaginable. Plus nails, screws, measuring tapes, rope, and tarps. "There's seeds," he says the moment he catches sight of Jess. Nodding behind him. "Tons of them over there. Will they keep? We could bring a couple of boxes."

"Yeah, absolutely." Jess scans the boxes and grins. "Are you giving me flowers?"

Logan blinks - his mind still cataloguing what else they need - before her meaning sinks in and he grins back. "I guess I am."

It's an amazing moment for Jess, finding a morsel of romance and fun in the midst of everything. "Thank you. Let's start loading up," she suggests, glancing through the windows to check the property is still just as abandoned as it was.

Logan nods. "Let's pack it to the rafters though." They wheel the carts back outside, Jess keeping watch while he loads the van. They make another trip inside, filling the carts again, this time with clothes - coats, hats, mitts, thermal underwear, waterproof pants, boots - and food, how-to books, medicine and first aid stuff, blankets, everything they need for fishing. And everything on Antony's list. By the time the van's fully loaded, Logan has to tie the doors shut.

"Success," Jess murmurs, stepping back, her hands held out just in case the doors suddenly give. But the ties stay secure. "Do you think we can make it back to the group tonight?" she asks, tipping her head back to study the sky.

Logan checks his watch and the sky as well. "I think we'll be pushing it," he says, estimating how much time they have before it gets dark. "We can try and find a place on the way or we could bunk down here?" he suggests. "It's been quiet so far and we've got everything we need."

She turns back to the Tesco, giving it a critical eye. "Okay," she says quietly. "We can bar the doors from inside somehow, and make sure there isn't a door out back. Do you think we'll be warm enough without a fire?" Not even thinking about how her question might sound.

"I'm sure I saw a propane fire pit and there's blankets, sleeping bags, lots of stuff we can burrow down in," Logan says, his cheeks flushing a little as he resolutely ignores how he'd _like_ to get warm with Jess.

She nods. "Let's check around back, just to be sure," she says, hunching into her jacket as a chill wind blows past. "Then we can put together some food." She flexes her grip on her 9 mm, compulsively checking the safety. Listens, just to be sure, before peeking around the corner of the building.

Rifle at his shoulder, Logan swings around Jess, scanning the back parking lot, but it's as empty as everything else. "I think we're good," he says, ignoring how the quiet gives him the creeps. "It's only one night."

"We can manage one night on our own," she says with a touch of a wry smile. She's actually happy to duck back inside the store; being out in the open just feels weird. But the sleeping bags are warm and make something of a comfy sofa when arranged against a bank of shelves. "We've got our choice of tinned spaghetti or tinned beef stew, for a little novelty," she tells Logan once he rejoins her. 

"Beef stew please," Logan says with a smile, setting up the fire pit, the propane tank thoroughly inspected before he hooks it up.

"Is that going to be safe?" Jess asks, watching with interest. "With the smoke?" She digs her can opener out of her pack and sets to, snagging a couple blue-printed china plates from a shelf.

"There's no smoke with propane but if you're asking about carbon monoxide," Logan says, getting everything in place and turning it on, "this pit's made to be used indoors, it has this flueless technology or something, minimal emissions, and this place is so big there won't be any build-up, not overnight."

Grinning, she says, "It jazzes me up that you know all this stuff. I always thought smart guys were sexy." She's a beat late in realizing how flirtatious that sounds, and bites her lip like she can take back the words.

Logan grins. "Where were you when I was in high school?" he says. "I got so much grief for being a nerd."

"Me too," she confesses with a laugh. "It got so bad that I actually dropped out of school and completed my GED a few years later." She grins at Logan and gives the stew a stir. "You're telling me you weren't Prom king and all that?"

"Hell, no, not even close," Logan says, shaking his head and settling back on the sleeping bags, a hand rubbed over his face. "I was a full-on theatre geek. The only girls who wanted to date me were other theatre geeks. And maybe a couple music nerds."

"A theatre geek? I never would have guessed." For some reason, hearing that Logan wasn't one of the uber-popular kids makes her feel closer to him. "What was your favorite play that you were a part of?"

Logan thinks for a moment. "We did Fiddler on the Roof and I played Tevye. I loved musicals," he says with a soft laugh.

"You sing, too?" Jess is charmed. "Luke sings. And Alex plays guitar. We're counting on you three to keep music alive." She scoops food onto a plate and hands it to Logan with a spoon. 

"Thanks." Logan nods at the food, his stomach grumbling, having been ignored in favour of getting everything else done. "I don't know how much I sing now," he says. "I'm a little out of practice." But here goes...

_A heart on the run keeps a hand on the gun  
You can't trust anyone  
I was so sure what I needed was more  
Tried to shoot out the sun  
Days when we raged, we flew off the page  
Such damage was done  
But I made it through, 'cause somebody knew  
I was meant for someone_

He trails off and Jess finds herself blinking back tears. "That's lovely," she whispers. "You're lovely."

"Thanks. It's just an old Jason Isbell song," Logan says, ducking his head a little. "And I'm pretty rusty."

"Rusty, ha." Jess thinks for a moment, then softly begins to sing.

_I will come to you in the daytime  
I will raise you from your sleep  
I will kiss you in four places  
As I go running down your street  
And we may never meet again  
So shed your skin let's get started  
And you will throw your arms around me..._

"That's beautiful," Logan says, in awe, his food forgotten for a moment. "You have a lovely voice." He grins. "We'll have an island choir."

"Right. Which would make Antony and Clive the dance team." She snickers at the thought, and blends her food to cool the hot spots. "You know, we should be mapping what we find out here. I've gotten so used to Ryan doing it that I've lost my mental topography."

"You mean the roads and stuff, or which buildings are where and which we have gone through?" Logan asks, thinking they need to catalogue what's here, in the Tesco, because they could probably come back if needed.

"Yeah, both." Finishing off the last spoonful of her meal, Jess gets to her feet. Partway down the second aisle she finds paper and pens, and grabs a package of each to rejoin Logan. "Okay, we came... east and then northeast, would you say?" she asks, trying to visualize their route.

"Yeah." Logan pulls the traced copy of Antony's map from his pocket and smooths out the crumpled piece of paper. "That's the main roads," he says, handing it over.

"Okay. I'm declaring us to be right about here," she says, drawing a rectangle and marking it as the Tesco. "The last time we saw the sea was... probably about here," a tap of her pen against the coastline, and the last time we saw any moving thing," she shudders, "was really way back here." She glances up to meet Logan's eyes. "It's like a bomb went off here or something. It's weird how everyone is just... gone."

"Could they all just have fled?" Logan suggests. "Gone south the moment everyone started getting sick?"

"But why?" Jess frowns and answers her own question. "Because they thought they'd find a cure in the big cities. It probably turned out even worse." She's quiet for a moment before she dares to ask, "Why do you think we were spared? So far, anyway."

"I think a huge part of it's sheer luck," Logan says, finishing his food and setting his empty bowl aside. "Then tenacity, smarts, will to live and another healthy dose of luck. Running into the right people." He shrugs. "All of the above?"

"Yeah. I kind of figured it was luck. And definitely running into the right people," she murmurs, automatically reaching to clean up his bowl, then setting it down again in a stack with her own, for lack of something better to do with it. "Do you think we'll make it to the island?" She's got him cornered, after all; might as well ask her burning questions.

"Yup. I do," Logan says. "I trust Antony'll get us there."

Jess smiles, admiring him for his faith. "And once we get there, you think we can handle anything?"

Logan gives that more thought. "I don't know," he answers honestly, finally. "I think we'll have to be very careful. It would be easy for us to get sick, not have the right medications, have someone die. I don't even know how many of us have had our tetanus shots. Simple things like flus or colds or childbirth could carry someone off if we don't make sure we know what we're doing and have the ability to take care of them. It's going to be very basic and very primitive but I still think it's our best chance."

She nods. "We haven't been looking for libraries, you know," she whispers. "At least I haven't seen one. With our doctor, and our tough guys... We should bring along a poet or two, as well."

"To be honest, I'd be pretty surprised if there was one up here," Logan says. "I don't think they've got the population for it. But we could look here in the morning, and we could check out any stores or B&Bs we pass."

"Okay. I'm going out back for a minute," she says, getting to her feet and brushing off her jeans. She collects the scant trash into a plastic sack hooked from behind the cash register.

"Do you want me to stand guard?" Logan asks, concerned, even though they've already checked and double-checked and seen nothing.

"No, no," she shakes her hand at him in denial. "I'll be right back." She takes her gun, though, moving quietly through the aisle to the back of the store.

Logan makes sure they have enough fuel to get through the night and then settles on the sleeping bags again, his head tilted back, watching the shadows flicker on the ceiling overhead.

Jess slips back inside and pulls the door firmly shut, pushing the desk in place to block it. She tiptoes back to Logan, and murmurs, "I still can't get used to how silent it is outside. At least a couple months ago there were still crickets." Now, though, with winter fast approaching, the insects have already burrowed deep. Unzipping her sleeping bag, she lies down, her head towards his.

Logan nods. "Everything about this is creepy," he says, turning his head to give her a smile. "Except being here with you. I'm enjoying that part very much."

She smiles, blushing in the firelight. "Who would have ever thought that Tesco is the place to be on date night?" she jokes, scooting a little closer.

Logan laughs. "Not half as good as Wal-Mart," he jokes, "but it'll do." Still smiling. "Can I kiss you?"

Tension floods her body, but there's excitement there, too. Logan is not what she expected him to be. "Yeah," she whispers, sitting up and pushing her hair back from her face.

Logan leans in and presses his mouth to hers, the kiss soft and warm.

Jess holds herself stiff and still, subconsciously waiting. Waiting for him to throw her down, to turn cruel and ugly. When his lips stay warm and yielding she opens her mouth a little, starting to kiss him back.

Logan gives a soft moan of pleasure, body reacting instinctively to Jess _actually_ kissing him, but he holds back, tamps down on the arousal he feels, letting her guide things.

She hesitates, then scoots inches closer. Slips her arms around his middle and leans in to kiss him again.

Logan deepens the kiss a fraction, wrapping one arm around Jess in return. "You feel good," he whispers, amazed at how good the contact feels and not just in a sexual way. It feels like forever since he's been _touched_.

She blinks, tears beading up on her lashes already, and god she hates that she's crying. "Yeah," she whispers back, pressing their lips together again. Licking tentatively into his mouth to taste him.

Logan licks back, mirroring her movements, making sure she knows he wants her without being too assertive.

"I'm sorry I'm crying," she whispers, sitting back to wipe her eyes. The flames throw flickering shadows over Logan's face, but she worries the firelight's not doing her any favors. "I promise not to get snot on you."

"You can get snot on me all you want," Logan says with a smile, digging in his pocket for a packet of tissues and offering them to Jess. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jess says, crying harder. She blows her nose and tries to explain. "You're so lovely and kind with me, and I didn't think I'd ever kiss anyone again."

"I'm not sure I thought I would either," Logan offers with a smile. "And I don't want you thinking I wouldn't jump at a chance for more, but I was raised to be a gentleman. I'm not ever going to do anything you're not one hundred percent okay with."

"See? There you go again." She sniffles and scrubs her hand over her eyes. _Done_ , she insists to herself, and leans in to kiss him again.

Logan kisses back, licking gently into her mouth, their tongues tangling again, his hand on her hip although he doesn't pull her closer.

His restraint emboldens her. Makes it possible for her to slip her hand around his nape and slant into the kiss, inviting him deeper with a soft moan.

Logan echoes that moan, licking deeper, more firmly, his body reacting instinctively.

Jess pulls back, panicking and unsure what to do with it. "We can— just— here," she says, getting up and laying her sleeping bag next to his. She lies down on her side and takes his hand in hers.

"Mm. This feels good," Logan murmurs against Jess's hair, thrilled to have her snuggled up against him.

"Yeah," she agrees in a whisper, shutting her eyes. He's solid, feels warm and strong, but in a protective rather than threatening way. "Tell me about how you and your wife met," she asks, longing for a conversation that doesn't involve zombies, or survivalism, or tears.

It's not exactly the most romantic of conversations but Logan's letting Jess take the lead and whatever she wants to know, he'll tell her. "We met in college. She was taking a class with my brother's girlfriend at the time and she'd just broken up with this guy she'd been dating for years. Apparently she'd sworn off men and Cathy had got her to come out with us to take her mind off things but I didn't know that. The moment I saw her I was done for and I spent the whole evening talking to her while Cathy kept trying to drag me away, assuming I was bugging her, but she'd fallen for me too. I told them the next day I was going to marry her."

Jess smiles, picturing it all. "That's amazing," she says softly. "That you knew right away. That's beautiful. Like we can actually see past the grime and the confusion of the moment, to a person's true self."

Logan nods, thinking about how happy they'd been before moving to New York. "What about you? Any serious relationships?"

"Oh, here and there. Nothing earth-shattering." She snuggles in a little closer, nestling in the cradle of his arms. "I actually was kind of fleeing a break-up when I went to visit my gran in Ireland a few months ago. If not for that, I'd probably be on the other side of the Atlantic."

Logan smiles. "You mean I have to be thankful to whatever idiot was not only stupid enough to let you go but actually chase you over here?"

She laughs, charmed. "Yeah. That must be it." Turning her head, she studies his eyes in the firelight, liquid caramel depths. "Do you consider yourself lucky?"

"In general, or since all of this happened?" Logan asks.

"Since this happened. I wonder sometimes," she murmurs, her heart pounding. "Whether we're really the lucky ones."

"Always. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, a way through," Logan says softly. "And I feel so incredibly lucky to have met you." He leans in and brushes his lips across hers. Taking a chance.

Jess inhales sharply in surprise, but this time she doesn't feel the familiar fear. Lifting her hand, she tentatively touches his hair and kisses him back, his lips soft against hers.

"We're going to make it to the island," Logan promises, brushing his lips across hers between actual kisses. "We're going to create our own new world with a group of amazing people and leave all the other stuff behind."

"I want that," Jess whispers, bittersweet pain stabbing through her. She sucks at his bottom lip, hungry for comfort. "I want it to be true."

"It will be. We're so close," Logan says, hand on her back now, pulling her in closer, his body reacting instinctively. "Fuck. Sorry," he whispers, drawing away a little.

"Don't be sorry," she says softly, although she can't help how she pulls back so she can no longer feel his cock pressed against her. It's simply a reflex. "I might get worried if you didn't... you know." She attempts a smile, but feels it come out crooked.

"Find you very, very sexy," Logan supplies helpfully, smiling at her. "I do, and if or when you ever want to do more, no pressure," he reassures her. "You'll be the one in control. I'll do or not do whatever you tell me."

She sighs, and warns, "Don't make me cry again." Sniffling only once when she tugs on his hair to pull him back down to kiss her again.

Logan groans into the kiss but he keeps it as soft as he can, keeps his hips back from hers, their tongues tangling lightly.

Jess nudges him to his back, then slides up against his side. Cupping his chin when she dips her head to kiss him again.

Another soft sound of pleasure, Logan letting Jess take the lead but responding equally, his desire and interest evident, his mouth warm but firm, urging her on.

"Touch my hair," she whispers, shutting her eyes. She slips her arms around him.

Logan does just that. Like he's been waiting, wanting to do, since he first saw Jess. "It's so beautiful," he says. "And soft."

"I came so close to hacking it all off, after... After." Jess nuzzles into his caress. "If it makes you happy, then I'm glad I didn't."

"Me too," Logan says, smiling at her, continuing to run his fingers over her hair. "But you could cut it off, wear a garbage bag and still be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Her face heats as the impact of his words settles in. "You're very sweet," she whispers. Unable to keep from smiling when she teases, "But I'm still not having sex with you tonight."

"No?" Logan pretends (well, exaggerates) disappointment. "All my sweet talk was for nothing?" He grins and kisses the top of her head this time. "Can we sleep like this?"

She smiles, ducking her head in pleasure. "Yeah." She slowly lets herself relax onto him, a little breathless, a little stiff. "This feels good."

"It feels amazing," Logan murmurs, having been pretty positive only a short while ago that he'd never have this again. Someone to hold, sleep with, talk to like this.


End file.
